Helping People in a Fragile State: First Hand Public Health Experiences in Afghanistan

Thursday, April 1112:45 - 2:15 p.m.Busch Student Center, 251

Dr. Nasratullah Rasa and Dr. Mohammad Saber Perdes joined the School of Public Health in August 2009. They studied Master of Public Health (MPH)-Health Policy under the prestigious scholarship of Fulbright. Both of them completed their studies as distinguished students with an overall GPA of over 3.9 and they returned to their home country, Afghanistan. Dr. Rasa is currently project director of Health Partners International of Canada (HPIC), an international charity organization, while Dr. Perdes is the Health Economics Unit Head at the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).

In addition to having full time jobs, they have worked as volunteers with the Afghanistan National Public Health Association (ANPHA). Dr. Rasa and Dr. Perdes are members of the executive board of the Afghanistan National Public Health Association (ANPHA) and they have contributed in launching the first ever world class public health journal for their country, the Afghanistan Journal of Public Health (AFJPH).

Since their return to their homeland, Dr. Rasa and Dr. Perdes have steadily progressed in their careers and have contributed significantly to the Afghanistan health system development. Most people talk about the challenges and risks of living in a developing and war torn country such as Afghanistan, but these two highly successful SPH alumni will share their experiences and present you the real picture of first hand public health experiences in a risky environment. They will talk about how they pursued their careers, the challenges they faced, and tips for becoming a young leader. They will also talk about how people in poor, fragile states struggle to get their basic needs, including the health care services, and what opportunities exist for others to help them overcome their issues.